The Luckiest Man in the World
by AlwaysPadfoot
Summary: Sirius considers himself extremely lucky. An EveryoneLives!AU. Fluff!


**AN:** Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.

* * *

 **The Luckiest Man in the World**

 **AlwaysPadfoot**

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 **September 8th 1979**

Sirius Black felt his heart swell.

He'd been pacing outside Marlene's room for ages, banned by her mother from even poking his head around the door.

 _It's bad luck to have a man present,_ she'd shrieked when he arrived at St Mungo's from work, taking a swipe at him with her cane.

Sirius might have been a Gryffindor, but he had no intention of crossing his mother-in-law. He had some self-preservation, and James frequently reminded him: _never_ piss off the mother-in-law. But the reason he'd stopped dead, his heart racing, was that he had just heard the cry of a baby. It was strong, loud, and Sirius turned, putting his ear against the door desperate to hear anything.

"Sirius Black."

He whipped around to see Lily Evans standing with her arms folded and a smile on her face. Sirius felt his cheeks heat and a hand went to the back of his head awkwardly.

"Lily," he said, "what are you doing here?"

"James told me you got the call in work," Lily explained, sitting down on the chairs opposite Marlene's room, "and I thought I'd come see how you were both doing. How come you're out here and not—"

"—inside?" Sirius finished her sentence and Lily nodded. "Apparently, it's bad luck for me to be in there."

Lily frowned and Sirius had the feeling she hadn't heard that superstition either. The redhead beckoned Sirius over to the chairs and he reluctantly went and sat. His knee was jumping up and down. He was so anxious about being here, and honestly, he desperately wanted to know that Marlene and their baby were healthy and happy.

"Take my hand."

Lily offered him a pale hand and Sirius clasped her hand in his.

"Marlene is going to be okay," Lily said. "In a moment, the Healer is going to come out here and they're going to say you can come inside. You're going to go in that door and you're going to meet the only person you will love unconditionally for the rest of your life. And it is going to be okay."

She squeezed his hand and Sirius nodded, pressing his lips together. Unable to respond, he took comfort in her sitting beside him whilst they waited.

Eventually the time came and the door opposite opened. Sirius looked up to the Healer standing in the doorway, a soft smile on her face. "Mr Black, your wife and newborn daughter would like to see you now. Everything went perfectly."

"My—my daughter?"

Lily gave him gentle nudge and Sirius got to his feet. It suddenly felt as though he was in a vacuum, the sound sucked out from around him as he walked forward towards the Healer. It was like there was no gravity, and he was floating. Except, as soon as he stepped into that room and laid eyes on Marlene, all the sensations rushed back to him at once.

Marlene looked up.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey." Sirius' vision went blurry and his voice cracked as he spoke. "Is that—?"

"—our daughter?" Marlene answered as Sirius found his feet carrying him forward to the bed.

Sirius nodded, swallowing thickly as his eyes fell on the baby wrapped in a pale turquoise blanket. She looked up at him with large blue eyes and a sob broke free from Sirius' lips. She was so beautiful and precious, and Merlin, Sirius was so lucky. Marlene gently took Sirius' arm and pulled him further forward. Sirius was in disbelief, and as he took his newborn daughter in his arms, happy tears sliding down his face, he found himself truly ecstatic.

His dreams were coming true.

* * *

 **May 26th 1986**

Sirius sat in quiet contemplation in the back garden of the bungalow he and Marlene owned. She was inside working on an article that was due before the close of business today, and since it was such stunning weather, Sirius had taken Evelyn outside to enjoy it.

She'd taken to collecting bugs and rocks — mostly rocks.

"Daddy," she yelled, lifting her hand up in the air with a large stone clasped in her fingers. "Look at this."

"Wow, that one is definitely one for your collection, sweetheart."

She smiled widely and put it in her box. Sirius heard a soft chuckle for the open kitchen door and turned, expecting to see Marlene. It wasn't Marlene — it was James, and Harry. Harry was clutching onto his dad's hand and fiddling with the pair blue frames on his face.

"Prongs," Sirius beamed before directing his attention to Harry. "Harry, how are you?"

"Gweat, Uncle Pa'foot," Harry smiled.

James crouched down and told Harry to go play with Evelyn, before coming to sit beside Sirius. It was the weekend, Sirius hadn't known that James wasn't working this weekend. The sun warmed their outstretched legs and James leant back with his fingers interlaced behind his head.

"Didn't know you were taking the weekend off," James said.

"What are you? My keeper?" Sirius countered.

"No," James grinned, "she's inside."

Sirius punched him in the arm and his friend feigned mock pain and then punched him back. "How's Lily?"

"Craving sponges."

"Sponges? As in cake?"

"Nope." James popped the 'p'. "Sponges as in non-edible bathroom items."

After a long, _long_ , discussion about Lily's odd cravings during her second pregnancy their conversation turned to Quidditch, and work, and random things before James dropped a curveball into their discussion. He explained that him and Lily had been called into Harry's primary school; he'd gotten into a fight.

"—just imagine, if that happened to your Eve," James said.

"That's different," Sirius said, "if anyone hurts that girl, they don't get the chance to walk away."

James scoffed lightly and put his hand on Sirius' back, joking that this had been two boys arguing over some colouring pencils. Sirius' eyes never left his daughter, who was racing Harry back and forth across the garden. He knew he would do anything for her — he'd go to the ends of the earth for her. He would fight anyone who hurt Evelyn.

"Daddy, Harry pushed me!"

Maybe not his best friends son though.

* * *

 **August 6th 1997**

Sirius came home to the sound of crying.

His feet were rushing up the stairs before he could even pause to think. Evelyn's door was ajar and when he pushed it open, Sirius saw his daughter lying face down on the bed, shoulders shaking as she cried.

"Go away, Dad," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow she had her face buried in.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked accusatorily.

"I just did, now, go away."

Sirius didn't leave, instead he moved into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He rested his hand on her back. Evelyn still had her coat and shoes on, something nine times out of ten she would have left by the front door.

"Evie, sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong."

"I just got dumped, Dad."

He hadn't even known his daughter was dating anyone. Sirius felt his mouth open in shock and then he shut it quickly. Clearing his throat, Sirius asked the question that had instantly come to mind.

"Who was it? What's his name?"

"It's a she," Evelyn responded, looking up at him with puffy red eyes, "and I'm not telling you her name when you have that look on your face."

That was loyal. Something that the person who broke his daughter's heart didn't deserve.

"You're into girls?" he asked.

Evelyn nodded, her face etched with concern. Sirius could tell she was terrified — fearful for what he might say or think of her coming out to him. Of course, he didn't much care about that, it was far more concerned by her tears and her broken heart. He found himself at a loss for words and then eventually, after a long moment of silence, he sighed softly.

"Did I ever tell you about me and your Uncle Remy?"

Sirius regaled the story as though it was only yesterday. How they'd grown close in school; how they'd fallen in love in some unexplainable way, and grown apart again. Evelyn listened with wide eyes, he even summoned the photo album to show her photos that were taken whilst he and Remus had been together. It was clear at first she hadn't believed him, but as Sirius talked more she started to trust that he was telling the truth.

He pulled her into a tight hug

"Don't think this changes my mind though," Sirius said, after he finally made Eve smile with a joke, "I'm still pissed at this girl."

"I'm still not telling you her name, Dad," she said pointedly.

Sirius huffed. He wouldn't have told his parents in a million years, but then again, his parents weren't exactly people to model himself on.

"I don't blame you; I wouldn't either," Sirius smiled. "I'm pissed."

He nudged her gently with his arm until she agreed to come down and eat cake. She looked at him with the same blue eyes she had all those years ago in St Mungos and asked him if everything was going to be okay, both with her and with her broken heart.

"One day your dreams will come true, Evelyn."

After all, they did for him.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and stood up, demanding that it better be chocolate cake they were eating. Sirius had a feeling she was going to be stubborn and not really talk about what happened. He would have done the same at her age. But that was okay, because eventually, she would come around. And if one thing was sure, Sirius knew she trusted him now.

That was all he needed to know.

* * *

 **July 17th 2011**

Marlene and Sirius were in the kitchen together.

Both of them were still in pyjamas, they were starting their Sunday lazily. Sirius nursed a large yellow mug of tea between his hands as Marlene buttered toast for them both. The patio door was open wide — it was going to be another hot day — and Sirius listened to the sound of the sea. He loved living by the ocean. He loved the smell of the salty air and the crash of the waves, he loved being inside when there was a storm.

The wind chimes on the patio of their bungalow played a gentle melody in the breeze. They'd driven both him and Marls mad for months when Evelyn had hung them up. They lived right next to the sea; they were always going to be loud and obnoxious sounding.

Now, Sirius couldn't imagine the morning without them.

Marlene sat beside him at the table, placing the stack of toast between them, and wrapping her leg around his under the table. "I think today's the day."

Sirius scoffed. "No, nuh-uh, there's no way."

Marlene giggled slightly as she took a sip of tea and then reached for a slice of toast. "I really think it is, today's the day that Hannah will Floo us."

Sirius shook his head. Evelyn's due date wasn't for three weeks and Sirius refused to believe that the baby was going to come early. He wasn't even going to entertain the idea that Evelyn would give birth a second before the due date. Then he would have to admit that his little girl was grown up and that he was going to be a fifty-one-year-old Granddad. Marlene was teasing him mercilessly. He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified. Somehow this felt harder than being a father.

All thoughts, of course, were lost about that a little later as Marlene tried to grab the last piece of toast.

"Rude," Sirius joked, swatting her hand away.

"I made it; I get the last piece."

"Since when was that the rule?"

"Since now," Marlene said

She summoned the final slice and then jumped up from the table to eat it out of reach, grinning at him as she did so. Sirius sat back, making no attempt to recover the stolen toast, and shook his head. She always seemed to win; he always seemed to let her. He was about to pass comment on that when he heard the rush of the Floo from the living room.

"Mum. Dad?" Evelyn's voice called out followed by the sound of the Floo again. "Hannah and me are here."

"We're in the kitchen, Eve," Marls called.

"Did she tell you she was dropping by?" Sirius mouthed and Marlene shook her head.

Hannah appeared in the doorway first. Sirius looked over his shoulder, noticing that she looked a little paler and a little more tired than normal. Evelyn — he'd learnt — was a cover stealer and kicker. It was something that he and Hannah had bonded over, because Marls was exactly the same.

"Hi Hannah, to what do we owe the pleasure?" he smiled.

Sirius noticed Evelyn move into sight behind her and Hannah cleared her throat.

"Well, me and Eve just got back from St Mungo's."

Hannah trailed off her voice and then finally stepped back to reveal that Evelyn wasn't alone. She was carrying a baby wrapped up in a familiar turquoise blanket.

Sirius felt his body freeze. All of a sudden he was back outside that hospital room, trapped in a watery bubble of no sound. Everyone was moving in the kitchen, but Sirius was stuck to his chair. It was like the pockets of his pyjama shorts were laden with weights to keep him down. It was too soon; it was too early.

" _Dad? Dad. Dad, are you okay?_ "

Sirius blinked. Evelyn was beside him now — baby in her arms. He had to say something, and he had to say something now.

"You're not due for three weeks," he said faintly.

Eve smiled softly, and then held the baby out. "I know, but your granddaughter is impatient. Here."

"My—my granddaughter?"

She nodded and Sirius slowly took the newborn into his arms. The look the baby gave him was so eerily similar to the one he'd seen thirty-two years ago that his breath caught. A full circle had come round; his baby was grown and had her own baby. Sirius blinked and a tear ran down his cheek.

"Are you crying, Dad?"

"No," he said quickly, his voice cracking, "I'm just leaking, from the eyes."

Marlene snorted softly. Sirius hadn't noticed that she was sat across the table with Hannah now. Everyone's eyes were on him — his eyes were on his granddaughter. In that moment, he swore the same promise that he had the second he held Evelyn. He would go to the ends of the earth for her.

"She's beautiful," Sirius said honestly after a long period of silence. "Do I get to know her name, or are you going to keep us in suspense?"

Evelyn and Hannah shared a look.

"Sarah," Evelyn replied.

Sirius repeated it and then smiled. A beautiful name, he thought, for a beautiful girl. He was aware of all the women he was surrounded by talking, but he wasn't interested in them. All of his focus was taken in by the little girl in his arms. Sirius touched his finger to her nose and then beamed at the face his goddaughter pulled afterwards. He sighed, content.

Sirius Black was the luckiest man in the world.

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 **Comp/Challenge & Prompts: **

**\- GGE2018:** For Mary - Sirius/Marlene, an EveryoneLives!AU, all the fluff.

 **\- FanFiction Resolutions Challenge:** 24\. Write something really cheesy and fluffy.

 **\- Insane House Challenge:** 367\. Word - Bungalow - (A small, cozy cottage)

 **\- 365 Prompts Challenge:** 22\. AU - EveryoneLives!AU

 **\- Conversation Starter Prompt Challenge:** 2\. Write about a highlighted moment in a character's life.

 **\- Bath Bomb Appreciation Challenge:** 24\. Little Princess - Write about a 'daddy's little girl'.

 **\- Tea Challenge:** 16\. Sweet Dreams - Write about a dream coming true.

 **\- Writing Club [AU of the Week] -** AU - EveryoneLives!AU

 **\- Writing Club [OTP Challenge]** \- 2. (color) Turquoise

 **\- Writing Club [Book Club] -** Dekka Talent: (action) lifting something, (action) coming out as gay/lesbian/bi/etc, (word) gravity, (dialogue) "If anyone hurts that girl, they don't get the chance to walk away.", (genre) friendship

 **\- Writing Club [Showtime]** \- 8. You Will Be Found - (genre) Friendship

 **\- Writing Club [Count Your Buttons]** \- 4. Marlene McKinnon (character), 2. "Take my hand." (dialogue)

 **\- Writing Club [A Year in Entertainment]** \- Movie: The Truman Show - (object) Photo album

 **\- Writing Club [TV Show of the Month]** \- John Watson: (object) Cane, (word) Loyal, (occupation) Writer

 **\- Dragon Appreciation Challenge**

 **Word Count:** 2574 — not inc. notes, titles, or ANs.


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